Water ski towline playout and retrieval apparatus



Nov. 2, 1965 J. P. JONES, JR

WATER SKI TOWLINE PLAYOUT AND RETRIEVAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1963 5- 2 lNl/ENTO/i a JOHN P401. Jo/vE5,./R

ATTORNE Y5 Nov. 2, 1965 J. P. JONES, JR 3,215,361

WATER SKI TOWLINE PLAYOUT AND RETRIEVAL APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V V E N TOR JOHN PA uz. Jame-5, JR.

United States Patent 3,215,361 WATER SKI TOWLINE PLAYOUT AND REVAL APPARATUS John Paul Jones, Jr., 178 Crestwood Drive, Daly City, Calif. Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,347 6 Claims. (Cl, 24286.5)

This invention relates to the sport of water-skiing, and is particularly directed to apparatus for quickly playing out and retrieving one or more towlines without danger of entanglement or knotting of the lines.

In the sport of water-skiing, it is the usual practice to cast towline from a boat to a skier in the water. As a result, the line frequently becomes entangled and knotted. The skier must therefore untangle the many knots in the towline prior to being towed. This usually entails treading of water on the part of the skier during the untanglement procedure such that the skier becomes somewhat exhausted before the primary goal of water-skiing has even been attempted. Moreover, precious skiing time is lost in right ing the tow line. When the skier has finished skiing, the tow line of course strings out in the water behind the boat and is susceptible to snaring or being sliced by other boats in the vicinity. It is therefore desirable that the towline be retrieved as rapidly as possible. Heretofore, however retrieval has been generally accomplished by hand pulling and coiling of the line. Aside from the slowness of this procedure, it also is frequently productive of entanglement and knotting of the line.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for rapidly playing out and retrieving water ski towline in a tangle-free manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of towline playout and retrieval apparatus which will accommodate multiple towlines without interaction therebetween.

It is still another object of the invention to provide apparatus of the class described wherein a reel is employed for towline playout and retrieval, which reel is arranged for detachable mounting upon a boat so as to be entirely portable.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide apparatus of the class described wherein the reel is selectively pivotal in its mounting between an active position for playout or retrieval service, and an inactive inconspicuous out of the Way position when not in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of the class described wherein the reel may be selectively locked against rotation when not in use.

One other object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described, wherein resilient balls secured to each towline engage hooks secured to the boat to provide a universal action when the line has been played out while simultaneously absorbing forces on the line to relieve tension on the reel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide towline playout and retrieval apparatus which is readily adapted to use with both outboards and inboards.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

3,215,361 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of water ski towline playout and retrieval apparatus in accordance with the invention as employed with a boat having an outboard motor.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevation view with portions broken away and corresponding to FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken at line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is [a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken in a vertical plane through the hook means of the apparatus as engaged by the resilient ball of a towline.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken at line 55 of FIGURE 3, particularly illustrating lock means for selectively locking the reel of the apparatus against rotation on its axle, the lock means being depicted in unlocked position to permit rotation of the reel.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken at line 66 of FIGURE 5, illustrating further details of the lock means, the lock means being depicted in locked position to prevent rotation of the reel.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken at line 77 of FIGURE 3, showing details of mounting means for providing selective pivotal movement of the reel unit between active and inactive positions, as well as selective detachment of the reel unit from the boat.

FIGURE 8 is an elevation view of the playout and retrieval apparatus as employed with a boat having an inboard motor. I

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevation partially in section of the mounting means.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, the water ski tow rope playout and retrieval apparatus will be seen to include a reel unit 11 for mounting upon a boat. In FIGURES 1 and 2, the reel unit 11 is illustrated as being mounted on an outboard motor boat 12, and in this case the unit is secured to the transom, or an elevated cross-rib 13 near the back of the boat, adjacent the midline thereof. In the attachment of the reel unit 11 to the boat, mounting means 14 are preferably employed which are arranged to facilitate selective pivotal movement of the reel unit between an active playout and retrieval position, as depicted in full line in FIGURE 2, and an inactive position, as depicted in phantom line, when not in use. In addition, the mounting means 14 is adapted to permit the ready detachment of the reel unit such that same is portable and may be conveniently stored in the bilge of the boat if desired.

The reel unit 11 includes a reel 16 mounted for rotation upon a substantially L-shaped axle member 17. The axle member 17 has an axle portion 18 with a post portion 19 right angularly turned therefrom, the post por-- tion having an angularly turned stub 21 at its end for operable association with the mounting means 14. The axle portion 18 is rotatably engaged by a bearing bushing 22 provided centrally of the hub 23 of the reel 16.

As an important feature of the invention, the reel is preferably adapted to carry a plurality of towlines 24, although a single line may of course be provided. More particularly, in order to accommodate multiple towlines, the reel is provided with at least one partition 26 transverse to the hub 23. The towlines 24 are wound upon the reel between the sides and the partitions. In the illustrated embodiment two towlines 24a, 24b are wound upon the reel between one side and a single central par- 7 without any tangles.

tition 26, and between this partition and the other side of the reel. Moreover, the towline handles 27 secured to the outer ends of the lines may be conveniently releasably retained at the sides, of the hub 23. To this end, resilient U-brackets 28 are secured to the hub sides to retentatively engage the handles. More particularly, the reel is preferably provided with spokes 29 which project radially outward from the sides of the hub 23 to define the outer portions of the sides of the reel between which the towlines are carried. Thus, when the towlines are fully wound upon the reel, the outer ends of the lines may be led through the spaces between the spokes and the handles 27 engaged with the U-brackets 28. Aside from the handles being thereby retained in an out-ofthe-way location, retention of the handles by the brackets serves to maintain the towlines in tautly wound position on the reel, even during rotation thereof.

As an extremely important feature of the invention, the playout and retrieval apparatus is so arranged that multiple towlines may be separately played-out to independently supported operable positions wherein line tension is relieved from the reel. Thereafter, the towlines may be separately and independently retrieved by the reel. In this regard, the towlines 24 are respectively provided with quick change snap hooks 31 at their inner ends which may be quickly snapped into engagement with apertures 32 provided in the hub 23, or quickly released therefrom. In addition, resilient balls 33, of hard rubber or the likes are secured to the respective towlines at positions spaced from the hooks 31. Securance of a ball to each line is advantageously facilitated by the line extending through the ball with a knot 34 in the outer portion of the line engaging the adjacent side of the ball, and a washer 36 engaging the opposite side of the ball and in turn engaged by a knot 37 in the inner portion of the line. The balls are respectively engageable with corresponding karabiners 38, or equivalent quick opening loop implement, which engages vertically oriented eyebolts 39 secured to the transom -13 of the boat laterally of the outboard engine 41. As illustrated, one karabiner is provided on one side .of the motor while the other karabiner is on the other side of the motor. It will be appreciated, however, that both karabiners may be alternatively provided in engagement with a single eyebolt 39, or that a number of karabiners may engage each of several eyebolts.

Thus, in the play-out operation of the apparatus, the handle 27 of one towline, e.g. towline 24a, is snapped from the brackets 28, and suflicient line withdrawn from the reel to enable the line to be threaded into one of the quick opening karabiners 38a at the back of the transom 13. A skier positioned in the water behind the boat can now reach around the stern and grasp the handle, which is conveniently positioned by the karabiner. The boat is now propelled forward while the skier in the water. grasps the handle of the towline, the towline thus unwinding off the reel automatically, straight and true The lapsed time interval required to completely unwind the line is but a matter of seconds, rather than many minutes as required to cast out the line by hand. With the line unwound, the resilient ball 33 spaced from the inner end of the line engages the karabiner and thus stops the line. In this regard it will be appreciated that the ball is spaced from the hook 31 by a distance greater than that between the reel and the karabiner such that the ball engages the karabiner before all slack is taken up in the line (see FIGURE 1). The skier is now ready for take-off, and full propulsive power is applied to the boat. The substantial stress now applied to the towline by the skier as he becomes water-borne is absorbed by the ball in its engagement with the karabiner. This is depicted in FIGURE 4 which illustrates the ball in a somewhat flattened condition during the absorption of stress. Moreover, the ball and karabiner provide a universal joint action which provides an unusually wide range of lateral motion to the skier. In fact, the extreme freedom of motion enables an experienced skier to make up to a are behind the boat. At the same time it will be appreciated that the ball engaging the karabiner relieves all towline stress from the reel. Thus, the quick acting hook 31 at the inner end of towline 24a may be disengaged from the hub of the reel when this line is in use or has been played-out. Thus, towline 24a may be rendered independent of the reel. Now, the other towline 24b, if not previously played-out simultaneously with line 24a may be played-out from the reel in an independent manner. When completely played-out the ball of this line engages the karabiner 38b, and thus a second skier may be towed entirely independently of the first skier with the same freedom of motion.

After the skiers have had their fill of skiing, the towlines 24a, 24b may be quickly retrieved in a tangle-proof manner. Towline 24a may be first retrieved by first snapping the hook 31 into engagement with aperture 32, the hook associated with towline 24b being previously disengaged from the aperture. The reel is then rotated as by means of crank handle 42 to wind towline 24a upon the reel, the karabiner 38a being opened and the line withdrawn so as to unobstruct the handle. When fully wound the associated handle 27 of towline 24a is engaged in the brackets 28. Now hook 31 of towline 24b is engaged in aperture 32. The winding procedure is repeated and towline 24b is retrieved in a similar manner. The time required to retrieve both towlines is but a matter of seconds. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the lines may be readily retrieved while the boat is in motion.

When not in use it is of course desirable that the reel unit 11 be disposed in an out-of-the-way position. As noted hereinbefore, the mounting means 14 is preferably arranged to facilitate selective pivoting of the reel unit between active and inactive positions, as well as complete removal of the reel unit such that .same may be stored in the bilge of the boat or the like. To the foregoing ends, the mounting means 14 preferably includes a cylindrical sleeve member 43 With an outwardly flared flange 44 at one end to facilitate rigid attachment of the sleeve member to the transom 13 of the like, as best shown in FIGURE 3. The sleeve member is adapted to receive the stub 21 at the end of the post portion 19 of the axle member 17, and this stub is provided with an enlarged end as generally indicated at 46, which is rotatably engageable in the sleeve member. An internally threaded cup 47 is concentrically disposed on the stub in rotatable relation thereto and abuts the shoulder between the stub proper and enlarged portion 46 thereof, preferably through the intermediary of a resilient washer 48. The internal threads of the cup are engageable with external threads 49 of the sleeve member 43. Thus, the reel unit 11 may be detachably secured to the sleeve member 43 by inserting the enlarged stub portion into the bore of the sleeve member and screwing the cup on the external threads 49.

With the reel unit thus detachably mounted, the axle member would normally be freely pivotal in the sleeve member. However, the sleeve member is arranged in the manner of a bayonet joint to provide locking of the axle member in positions separated by 180. One position is such that the reel unit is elevated from the transom '13 or the like and is hence active In the other position ferential slots 53 extending therefrom in a given circumferential direction, e.g., clockwise. The closed terminal ends of the circumferential slots are appropriately positioned such that when the pins 52 engage same, the post portion is locked in an upwardly extending position of alignment with a vertical plane, the axle portion being thus horizontally disposed. In addition, circumferential slots 54 are provided in the sleeve member which extend from the longitudinal slots substantially 180. Slots 54 are longitudinally spaced from slots 53. Thus with the pins 52 engaging the longitudinal slots 51 the stub portion of the axle member may be translated from the circumferential slots 53 to a position wherein the pins are adjacent the circumferential slots 54. The stub portion of the axle member may be translated from the circumferential slots 53 to a position to be rotated, the pins traversing circumferential slots 54. Upon 180 of rotation, the pins engage the ends of these slots and thus lock the axle member in a position wherein the reel unit is retracted within the boat. Thus the bayonet joint defined by the slotted sleeve member and pins of the stub, facilitate selective locking of the reel unit in active and inactive positions.

When the reel unit is in inactive position, it is preferable that the reel be locked against rotation on the axle portion 18 of the axle member 17. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention is arranged for selective locking of the reel to the axle portion. More particularly, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, a latch 56 is provided to the foregoing end. The latch includes an operating knob 57 from which a stem 58 depends, the stem having a rectangular key 59 at its end. The stem slidably extends through a radial aperture in the bearing bushing 22 of the hub adjacent one side thereof. The stem is normally resiliently urged outwardly by a spring 61 to a position wherein the key is disposed in a conformed rectangular recess 62 in the interior bore wall of the sleeve. Thus the key is normally disposed in a. retracted position which is non-obstructing to rotation of the sleeve upon the axle portion 18 of the axle member 17 (see FIGURE 5). However, the axle portion 18 is hollow and provided with a rectangular aperture 63 which matches the recess 62 and is alignable therewith. When the aperture and recess are aligned, the knob 57 may be depressed against the loading of spring 61 to in turn urge the key through the aperture. The knob is then rotated such that the key is turned transverse to the aperture, the ends of the key at this time engaging the interior bore wall of the axle portion 18 on opposite sides of the aperture (see FIGURE 6). The stem in extending through the aperture 63, looks the bearing sleeve to the axle portion.

Although the play-out and retrieval apparatus of the invention has been to this point described with particular reference to an out-board motor boat, the apparatus may be employed with slight modification upon an in-board motor boat. Most in-board boats are provided with a post 64 which projects upwardly from a cross rib 66 disposed forwardly of the motor housing 67, as shown in FIGURE 8. An eye 68 is provided at the upper end of the post at a position overlying the motor housing. In the use of the play-out and retrieval apparatus on an inboard, the post 64 takes the place of the eyebolt 39 previously mentioned with respect to out-board service. More particularly, the karabiners 38 are engaged in the eye 68 of post 64. The reel unit is mounted on the crossrib 66 of the .in-board on the towlines led through the karabiners on the post 64. The operation of the play-out and retrieval apparatus on an in-board is then the same as that described relative to the out-board.

What is claimed is:

1. Water ski playout and retrieval apparatus comprising a reel unit adapted for mounting on a boat, said reel runit including a rotatable reel having a hub and a partition transverse to said hub, said hub having apertures respectively positioned in the regions between said partition and the sides of the reel, a plurality of tow lines respectively wound upon said reel in said regions, a plurality of quick release hooks secured to the inner ends of said towlines and engaging respective ones of said apertures, a plurality of resilient balls respectively secured to said towlines at positions spaced from said hooks, a plurality of quick release karabiners engageable by said balls, eye means for securing said karabiners to said boat, said reel unit further including a substantially L-shaped axle member including an axle portion rotatably engaged by said reel and a post portion right angularly turned from the axle portion, and mounting means adapted for attachment to a boat, said mounting means detachably securable to said post portion and including means for selective locking of said post portion at positions spaced substantially apart.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said post portion including an angularly turned stub at its end, said stub including an enlarged end portion; and said mounting means comprising an externally threaded sleeve adapted for rigid attachment to a boat, said sleeve having longitudinal slots and pairs of circumferential slots extending from the longitudinal slots, pins projecting from said enlarged end portion of said stub and engaging said slots, and an internally threaded cup concentrically rotatably engaging said stub and in end engagement with said enlarged end portion, said cup threadably engaging the external threads of said sleeve.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, further defined by said axle portion having an aperture and being hollow and said reel including a bearing bushing concentrically rotatably engaging said axle portion, and latch means including a stem carried by said bushing and selectively depressible into said aperture of said axle portion.

4. Water ski playout and retrieval apparatus comprising a reel having a hub with a central bearing bushing and spoked sides extending upwardly from the hub, said reel having a central partition transverse to said hub, said hub having apertures between said partition and the respective sides of' the reel, a pair of towlines respectively wound upon said reel between the partition and spoke sides thereof, quick change hooks secured to the inner ends of said towlines and engaging said apertures, resilient U-brackets secured to the sides of the hub of said reel for retaining handles secured to the outer ends of said towlines, an axle member having an axle portion concentrically rotata'bly engaged by said bearing bushing and a post portion right angularly turned from the axle portion, said post portion having an angularly turned stub at its end, mounting means for securing said stub to a boat, at least one eye adapted for securance to a boat, at least one quick release karabiner engaging said eye, and a resilient ball secured to each towline at a position spaced from said hook and engageable with said karabiner.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, further defined by said mounting means comprising an externally threaded sleeve adapted for rigid attachment to a .boat, said sleeve having diametrically opposed longitudinal slots and pairs of circumferential slots extending from the longitudinal slots at longitudinally spaced positions, said stub having an enlarged end portion and a pair of pins projecting from said enlarged end portion, said enlarged end portion engaging said sleeve with the pins engaging said slots, and an internally threaded cup concentrically rotata bly disposed on said stub adjacent the enlarged end portion thereof, said cup threadably engaging said sleeve.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, further defined by said bearing bushing having a rectangular recess in its inner bore surface and said axle portion being hollow and having a conformed rectangular aperture alignable with the recess, and a latch including a stern extending through said bushing in slidable and rotatable relation thereto, said latch having a rectangular key at the end of the stem disposable in said recess and inserta'ble through the con- 7 8 formed rectangular aperture, said latch being spring loaded 2,499,123 2/50 White 24299 to normally maintain said key in retracted position in said 2,956,758 10/60 Pleiss 242100.1 recess. 2,964,258 12/60 Kutil 242106 3,003,453 10/61 Jamieson 24254 X References. Cited by the Examiner 5 3,034,742 5/62 Reynolds 24286.5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,098,463 7/63 BIOWH 242865 X 1,408,261 2/2'2 Brook-hart 242- 125.2 X 3147935 9/64 Wllson 242*865 1,807,582 6/ BFOVYH 242125-1 MER-VIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 1,905,557 4/33 Travis. 20 174 7 40 Falk 242 1 0 X 1 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner. 

1. WATER SKI PLAYOUT AND RETRIEVAL APPARATUS COMPRISING A REEL UNIT ADATPED FOR MOUNTING ON A BOAT, SAID REEL UNIT INCLUDING A ROTATABLE REEL HAVING A HUB AND A PARTITION TRANSVERSE TO SAID HUB, SAID HUB HAVING APERTURES, RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED IN THE REGIONS BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND THE SIDES OF THE REEL, A PLURALITY OF TOW LINES RESPECTIVELY WOUND UPON SAID REEL IN SAID REGIONS, A PLURALITY OF QUICK RELEASE HOOKS SECURED TO THE INNER ENDS OF SAID TOWLINES AND ENGAGING RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID APERTURES, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT BALLS RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO SAID TOWLINES AT POSITIONS SPACED FROM SAID HOOKS, A PLURALITY OF QUICK RELEASE KARABINERS ENGAGEABLE BY SAID BALLS, EYE MEANS FOR SECURING SAID KARABINERS TO SAID BOAT, SAID REEL UNIT FURTHER INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED AXLE MEMBER INCLUDING AN AXLE PORTION ROTATABLY ENGAGED BY SAID REEL AND A POST PORTION RIGHT ANGULARLY TURNED FROM THE AXLE PORTION, AND MOUNTING MEANS DETACHABLY SECURABLE TO SAID A BOAT, SAID MOUNTING MEANS DETACHABLY SECURABLE TO SAID POST PORTION AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR SELECTIVE LOCKING OF SAID POST PORTION AT POSITION SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY 180* APART. 